Within a network of data processing systems, each data processing system typically includes its own local storage unit that may comprise, for example, a hard disk. A data processing system may access data on a storage unit belonging to another data processing system using, for example, network file system (NFS) software. The network may also include a backup system comprising storage such that data on the storage units of the data processing systems can be backed up onto the storage of the backup system.
It is an object of embodiments of the invention to at least mitigate one or more of the problems of the prior art.